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A new chapter for Profiles in Courage: The debt ceiling debate

Like much of the nation, I’m frustrated and angry that our politicians have let the U.S. come so close to default on its debts – and that the issue still isn’t resolved. But as I packed my bags to move closer (geographically at least!) to the heart of this mess, I came across John F. Kennedy’s Profiles in Courage. I remember reading this book in high school and I think it’s wisdom speaks to what we need right now in politics: a little more courage from everyone involved. However, it’s not just one group that needs to display this moral courage – each of the stakeholders share the blame for the mess and need to find the courage to make the remedy.

News media: As a communication scholar, I want to start with the news media. For most of the mainstream media, the effort to maintain “neutrality” and “balance” guides much of their coverage. Yet the search for balance can lead to inaccuracies even more debilitating than admitting that one side may be more “in the right.” As Paul Krugman points out in this brilliant editorial, the media have been attempting to be too even-handed in this debate. If one side is less willing to compromise, that needs to be pointed out. A journalist’s main duty, or “bias” if you will, is to the truth, not to artificial balance, and our nation’s media needs the courage to discard false balance for honest reporting of what’s happening. It’s the only way for the public to understand the debate – and to exercise their rights.

Congressional Republicans: To criticize Republicans will immediately lay me open to claims of bias, so I’ll let a conservative do the talking for me. David Brooks put it best: the Republican party, by not seizing on the huge compromise in spending cuts that Democrats were willing to make, has proven that “the Republican Party may no longer be a normal party. Over the past few years, it has been infected by a faction that is more of a psychological protest than a practical, governing alternative.” Mind you, this criticism is coming from a conservative! Further, Republicans are staking out a position that few in the public hold: 68% of the public wants compromise, including 53% of Republicans. It is only among the Tea Party that a slight majority don’t favor compromise. Republicans need the courage to put the good of the country first and explain to those constituents who do not favor compromise that it is, in fact, the only way government happens and that to default on our national debts is unacceptable and costly – a fact which even conservative economists agree on.

Kennedy’s book remains an inspiration to me. However, he only describes politicians who find the courage to stand up to their party and their constituents to do what is right. This current mess requires courage from all of us, most especially the public.